Just Biotherapeutics, a Seattle-based company working to expand global access to protein therapeutics, has announced the closing of a $14 million Series A2 financing round led by an $8 million investment from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The financing — which also included $2 million each from existing investors Merck, Lilly Asia Ventures, and ARCH Venture Partners — will support the completion of new lab space, a pilot plant, and GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice/Compliance) capabilities, enabling the firm to accelerate the development of low-cost biologics. In 2015, the Gates Foundation awarded Just Biotherapeutics two grants totaling more than $24 million over four years — nearly $15 million to develop novel technologies that lower the commercial cost of monoclonal antibodies ("mAbs") in low-income markets and almost $9.5 million to develop sequence-optimized broadly neutralizing anti-HIV antibodies for low-cost manufacture and improved stability. The equity investment from the foundation will enable Just Biotherapeutics' partners to test new products that could have a significant impact on fighting infectious diseases disproportionately affecting the world's poorest people.

"We are grateful for this significant investment from the foundation and for the loyal support of our Series A investors," said Just Biotherapeutics co-founder and CEO Jim Thomas. "With this infusion of capital, we will complete the buildout of our integrated lab infrastructure and add critical pilot plant and GMP manufacturing capabilities to Just."